Elsewhere is where 15-year-old Liz Hall ends up, after she has died. It is a place so like Earth, yet completely different from it. Here Liz will age backward from the day of her death until she becomes a baby again and returns to Earth. Is it possible that a life lived in reverse is no different from a life lived forward?
This is the most poignant, amazing book that I have ever read this year. It was an emotional roller coaster, which made me feel depressed, elated, adrensalised and frustrated in all the right places. We follow Liz's life... or rather, her death, and how she copes, along with all the bumps and bruises that come along with her passing.
There were so many right things about this book. Although the style of narrative seemed a bit clumsy and tense at first, I got used to it by the time I reached the third or so chapter. I did personally think that this story would be told much better if it was in first-person perspective, but it doesn't really matter an awful much.
I liked the characters featured in this book, especially Alvy. Little did I think that he'd play a rather large part in Elsewhere. He made my heart fuzzy with warmth and every time he was mentioned, I smiled. Alvy was the only person who listened; he is the connection. I cannot say anything more than that.
The dogs in this book were particularly amusing. It is true once you think about it though, that humans do not truly know about canines and their feelings. If our dogs in real life were like the ones in Elsewhere, I would rather be friends with them than anyone or anything else in the world.
The end of this book was very sad, even though I knew it was coming. (view spoiler)
Finally, I see Elsewhere as a cross between The Lovely Bones and The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button. Elsewhere deals with a tasteful balance of themes such as loss, death, waiting, love and reunion.
There were so many right things about this book. Although the style of narrative seemed a bit clumsy and tense at first, I got used to it by the time I reached the third or so chapter. I did personally think that this story would be told much better if it was in first-person perspective, but it doesn't really matter an awful much.
I liked the characters featured in this book, especially Alvy. Little did I think that he'd play a rather large part in Elsewhere. He made my heart fuzzy with warmth and every time he was mentioned, I smiled. Alvy was the only person who listened; he is the connection. I cannot say anything more than that.
The dogs in this book were particularly amusing. It is true once you think about it though, that humans do not truly know about canines and their feelings. If our dogs in real life were like the ones in Elsewhere, I would rather be friends with them than anyone or anything else in the world.
The end of this book was very sad, even though I knew it was coming. (view spoiler)
Finally, I see Elsewhere as a cross between The Lovely Bones and The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button. Elsewhere deals with a tasteful balance of themes such as loss, death, waiting, love and reunion.
When I read this, I picture:
When I read this, I remember:
“There's the tree with the branches that everyone sees, and then there's the upside-down root tree, growing the opposite way. So Earth is the branches, growing in opposing but perfect symmetry. The branches don't think much about the roots, and maybe the roots don't think much about the branches, but all the time, they're connected by the trunk, you know?”
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“People, you'll find, aren't usually all good or bad. Sometimes they're just a little bit good and a whole lot bad. And sometimes they're mostly good with a dash of bad. And most of us, well, we fall in the middle somewhere.”
“There's the tree with the branches that everyone sees, and then there's the upside-down root tree, growing the opposite way. So Earth is the branches, growing in opposing but perfect symmetry. The branches don't think much about the roots, and maybe the roots don't think much about the branches, but all the time, they're connected by the trunk, you know?”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“People, you'll find, aren't usually all good or bad. Sometimes they're just a little bit good and a whole lot bad. And sometimes they're mostly good with a dash of bad. And most of us, well, we fall in the middle somewhere.”
